Farewell to the Handmaiden?: Profile of Nurses in Australian General Practice in 2007

Objective: To describe the characteristics of nurses working in Australian general practice, including their backgrounds, working environments, tasks and duties. Design: National cross sectional survey. Setting: General practices in all regions of Australia. Subjects: 104 registered and enrolled nurses working as practice nurses (PNs). Results: Participants were predominantly registered nurses (93%); all female; and had been in general practice for an average of 6.2 years. They were generally working part time (average 26.2 hours per week), with pay ranging from $18 to $45 per hour. Registered nurses had higher rates of pay but there was no clear relationship between rate of pay and years in general practice. The majority (86%) had completed one or more short courses, and one in six (16%) held or were undertaking postgraduate studies in practice nursing. PNs in the sample worked in practices where there was an average of one PN for every 2.43 GPs. Almost half (47%) worked in practices which employed allied health professionals, and 90% employed practice managers. All undertook duties relating to direct patient care, coordination of care, and management of the clinical environment. 90% undertook practice management and administration tasks, including 57% who provided some reception or secretarial support. Conclusions: Although some differentiation of roles within the PN workforce was apparent, there were few discernible differences in nurse or practice characteristics associated with these different profiles, and they were unrelated to experience and remuneration. Findings highlight the need for development of career pathways and better monitoring of the PN workforce.